Culture

5 Traditional Japanese Art Forms Flying Under the Radar

Japanese woodblock prints inspired Claude Monet, and he built a Japanese garden at his Giverny…

Meditate in Luxury at Tokyo’s Latest Haven for Mindfulness

It’s easy to fall into Tokyo’s hectic back alleys and neon lights or get sucked…

Top 5 Japanese Guitarists of All Time

These are the greatest axe-men that ever came out of Japan. Period. This foolproof list…

10 Things to Know About Kimono’s History, Design and Evolving Future

Elegant. Alluring. Timeless. Kimono have origins that can be traced back over a millennium, and…

Kyogen Actor Mansai Nomura on Directing the 2020 Olympic Ceremonies: “My Focus Is On Inclusion”

Mansai Nomura’s lilting pattern of speech and deep, dulcet tone rumbles like the curling surf…

TW ScreenCap: 5 Things to Watch in July

We love movies here at TW. We’re avid Netflix consumers and theatergoers and even dabble…

Experience Sushi-Making Firsthand with Professional Chefs at Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku

I slip off my watch and slip on the same pristine white jacket and pointed…

Meet the Sushi Chef Who Doubles as One of Kabukicho’s Top Male Hosts

When I meet sushi chef Shun at his restaurant Hey Rasshai, he is wearing the…

Shop Japan #12: Our Monthly Roundup of Artisanal Japanese Gifts and Souvenirs

Looking for something quintessentially Japanese for that perfect gift or souvenir? Each month, we round up…

Former Momoclo Pop Idol Akari Hayami: “My personality didn’t suit being an idol”

From Momoclo pop idol to leading lady, Akari Hayami tells TW what she’s learned about…

Australian Band Shares a Sunny Outlook Ahead of Fuji Rock

Fuji Rock, Japan’s biggest and boldest music festival, is a familiar stage for the world’s…

Film Crew Scales Sacred Mount Oyama with Japan’s Tattooed Pilgrims

Japan’s relationship with tattoos is notoriously complicated. Even at the height of their popularity during…

Two Expats Film 10 Documentaries Revealing the Other Side of Japan

Ever since their first contact with Europeans, and later on, North Americans, Japan has held…

Christian Boltanski’s Tokyo Exhibit: “All my life I have fought against the fact of dying”

Christian Boltanski, face weathered, liver spots adorning his bald pate, like Alfred Hitchcock in slip-on…

“Trails”: Takashi Homma’s Photo Book Explores a Complex Dynamic Between Man and Nature

Blood splatters across pristine white snow. Broken twigs and branches are scattered in a cold…